In the past a number of high-low (alternatively termed in-between) games have been played. One well-known game of this kind is called Acey-Deucey. In Acey-Deucey at least one player is dealt two playing cards from a deck of playing cards. The at least one player places a wager on whether a third playing card dealt from the remaining playing cards of the deck will have a rank that lies between the rank of the two playing cards previously dealt to the at least one player. A set of pre-determined rules dictates pay-outs and winning hands for the at least one player after the third card is dealt. After a period of time, generally, the at least one player loses interest in the game because of the lack of variety and lack of skill necessary to succeed in such a game, especially when the at least one player has a losing streak.
Green, U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,969 disclosed a blackjack wagering game, which has all the elements of blackjack with a side bet feature related to the dealing of two playing cards to the player and whether a third playing card that is dealt has a rank between the first two cards that were dealt. Green's, U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,969 game method has more interesting features to capture the interest of players. Similarly, Perkins, U.S. Pat. No. 6,406,024 disclosed an in-between card game, which includes two rounds of play for three playing cards dealt to from one to seven players and a dealer. In Perkins, U.S. Pat. No. 6,406,024, players win when the first card dealt to the dealer lies between the first two playing cards dealt to the player, while the cumulative value of all three playing cards in the player's hands versus the dealer's hand determines the win. Once again, the game disclosed in Perkins, U.S. Pat. No. 6,406,024 has more interesting features and opportunities for winning. Friedman, U.S. Pat. No. 6,457,715 disclosed another variant on an in-between game in which a player places a wager and is then dealt two playing cards which optionally may either be replaced with zero, one or two other playing cards, followed by the dealer exposing an additional playing card and resolving wagers according to predetermined relationships between each of the player's playing cards and additional exposed playing cards. Friedman, U.S. Pat. No. 6,457,715 disclosed a number of variations of this game including the use of indicia (such as dice) rather than playing cards. In yet another high-low game, Tarantino, U.S. Publication US 2002/0135129 A1 disclosed a machine generated game in which a player bets on the outcome of drawing one playing card compared to a second playing card in terms of whether the first playing card will be higher or lower in rank than the second playing card. According to the disclosure of Tarantino, U.S. Publication US 2002/0135129 A1, on a successful outcome for the player, a third playing card is compared to the second playing card, and so on, with other variations of the game being possible. All of these games incorporate some features of an Acey-Deucey game together with other well-known playing card games such as blackjack, poker or baccarat with greater wagering options and variations to increase interest in the subject game.
The present inventor provides an improved game which deviates less from a standard Acey-Deucey game and requires player skills as well as providing multiple opportunities for wagering. The present inventor's game is simple to understand by players and yet provides sufficient playing variability where skill-oriented choices in addition to increased winning opportunities maintain players' long term interest. Additionally, a house (otherwise termed a bank or owner of the game) is provided with greater possibility for control of payouts in the game by deciding the rules of the game and therefore the amount of house profitability.